Retailers who are looking to social media as the solution
that will boost their sales may be missing the point, according to Lime
Foundry’s Tara Hunt, a marketing researcher and strategist based in Toronto. In
a recent blog at TaraHunt.com, she considers the real value of social media for
retailers.

Retailers who find themselves complaining that social media
“doesn’t work” may want to reconsider its purpose. It’s not to drive sales,
said Hunt, and results are never guaranteed with online or any kind of
marketing.

Overall, three elements of social media marketing make it
better than traditional one-way channels: analytics, feedback and
relationships. Analytics tells you who is viewing your posts, while “raw”
feedback lets you hear directly from your current and potential customers and
doesn’t cost a thing. Relationships that come about through the built-in
conversation model of social media encourage bonding with your customers.

Additionally Hunt emphasizes to retailers that social media
engagement requires a well-thought-out strategy, so, she advises, don’t get
your kid to do it.

Since retailers want to make good use of their time, Hunt
indicates that the return-on-investment for using social media is first, the
ability to listen; second, serendipity, those moments where you can lead the
conversation and make a great impression; and third, the opportunity to build
community rather than simply a customer database. Community builds a
word-of-mouth network that is “real and authentic and it spreads,” she writes.

Hunt ends her blog by encouraging users to “stop thinking of
social media as a direct marketing tool or some sort of silver bullet that will
drive sales through the roof. Stop reading those case studies where Facebook …
drove millions of dollars in sales from a viral campaign. That’s not the
point.”